Bourbon Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe (2024)

Published: Jan 22, 2018 · Modified: Apr 1, 2021 by Nancy · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Sticky Toffee Pudding - rich, dense and caramel sweet, this "cake" checks all the boxes for true comfort food! Simple enough to make on a weeknight but "fancy" enough to serve to company, it's a delicious ending to almost any meal.

Bourbon Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe (1)

First Published: November 2015 Last Updated: September 2019

Table Of Contents

What is Sticky Toffee Pudding?
Ingredients you will need:
In the Instant Pot
On the Stovetop:
Main Dish Recipes that go great with Sticky Toffee Pudding

What is Sticky Toffee Pudding?

This Sticky Toffee pudding is all about a moist, dense crumb - this isnot a light and airy cake! There are a number of reasons for this but the primary one is that this cake is steamed and not baked.

Like Treacle Tart and Blackberry Fool, , Sticky Toffee Pudding is one of the most popular British desserts. There is some debate about its origins, but it's thought that it was invented during the 20th century in the Lake District. There is no debate though about how good it is!

Why is it called Pudding when it's a Cake?

In England, "pudding" commonly refers to dessert - regardless of what that dessert is - cake, tart, ice cream, you- name- it. It can also refer to savory dishes such as Yorkshire Pudding, Black Pudding, etc., etc.

Fortunately, here in the U.S., we don't have that sort of nonsense. 'Dessert" is dessert, a "pudding" is a pudding, and "cake", is cake! So to summarize, even though this dessert is called a "pudding" it's really a cake!

Ingredients you will need:

Dates - I used Medjool dates but feel free to use any dates that you enjoy.
Baking Soda & Baking Powder
Hot water
Unsalted butter
All-Purpose Flour
Light brown sugar
Milk
Eggs
Apple Pie Spice OR ground Allspice, Cinnamon and Cloves
Salt
Storebought or homemade caramel sauce

Bourbon Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe (2)

How to Make Sticky Toffee Pudding:

It's ridiculously easy

In the Instant Pot

Chop and soak the dates.
Melt the butter and add the milk. and your dry ingredients, stir, portion into ramekins and seal with a little foil.
Place the steamer rack in the Instant Pot.
Place the foil-covered ramekins on the steamer rack.
Pour 4 cups of hot water around the ramekins in the Instant pot.
Place the lid on the Instant Pot and turn the Steam Release knob to the sealed position.
Program the Steam function for 25 minutes.
After 25 minutes do a "quick release" of the steam by moving the Steam Release knob to the "venting position". NOTE: I always use a towel over the knob so that when the pressure releases I don't get hit with the hot steam which can burn! You could also use the handle of a wooden spoon to move the knob!
Carefully remove the ramekins from the pot, remove the foil and let cool.
To unmold the puddings, run a sharp knife around the inside of the ramekin. Place a serving plate (serving side down) on top of the ramekin and flip over.
Top with homemade or store-bought caramel sauce.

On the Stovetop:

Follow steps #1 and #2 as outlined above.
Use a large pasta pot or dutch oven that will hold the ramekins comfortably.
Place a rack on the bottom of the pot and place the ramekins on top.
Pour enough boiling water into the pot to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
Place the lid on the pot and bring the pot to a simmer over medium-low heat.
Simmer for 2 ½ - 3 hours or until the puddings are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with small crumbs attached.
Carefully remove the ramekins from the pot, remove the foil and let cool.
To unmold the puddings, run a sharp knife around the inside of the ramekin. Place a serving plate (serving side down) on top of the ramekin and flip over.
Top with homemade or store-bought caramel sauce.

Bourbon Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe (3)

Main Dish Recipes that go great with Sticky Toffee Pudding

Top Round Roast - a Provencale style braised Top Round Roast!
Hunters Stew - a luscious beef, tomato, mushroom stew with white wine!
Pork Ragu - Tender and juicy shredded pork in a rich tomato sauce!

If you enjoyed this recipe, I would LOVE for you to give it a 5-star rating! Cheers! Nancy

📖Recipe

Instant Pot Bourbon Sticky Toffee Pudding

Warm, moist and caramel sweet, and “yes” a bit sticky, this Instant Pot Bourbon Sticky Toffee Pudding checks all the boxes for true comfort food that can pass as a "fancy" dessert - that of course you can completely make ahead of time!!!

Print Pin Rate Add to Collection

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: british/american

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 Servings

Calories: 470kcal

Author: Nancy Buchanan

Ingredients

½ Cup Chopped dates
½ Teaspoon Baking soda
6 Tablespoons Hot water
2 Tablespoons Good quality bourbon
3 Tablespoons Unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons Milk
⅔ Cup Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking powder
1 Egg
¾ cup light brown sugar
½ Teaspoon Cinnamon
⅛ Teaspoon Cloves
⅛ Teaspoon Allspice
¼ Teaspoon Salt
½ cup store bought salted caramel sauce

Instructions

Chop the dates into ½ inch pieces and add to a small bowl. Add the bourbon, hot water and baking soda. Stir to combine and set aside.
In a microwave safe bowl, combine milk and butter. Microwave on low for 3 - 4 minutes to melt the butter.
Remove bowl from the microwave. Add the flour, sugar, spices, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine.
Beat the egg in a small bowl and add to the flour mixture.
Add the dates and water mixture.
Stir all the ingredients together.
Spray 4 ramekins with non stick spray. Divide the mixture evenly between the 4 ramekins.
Spray 4 small pieces of foil with non stick cooking spray and cover the ramekins.

How to Steam the Puddings in the Instant Pot

Place the wire rack into the Instant Pot. Place the ramekins on the wire rack. Pour 4 cups of hot water into the Instant Pot. Cover and set the instant pot to “steam” and set the timer for 25 minutes.
Release steam either through NPR or by turning to “vent” - use caution if releasing steam via vent.
See Also
Soft and Chewy Snickerdoodles - The Best Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe!Easy Homemade Bagel Recipe Easy Air Fryer Pineapple Recipe Easy Blondie Recipe (aka Blondie Brownies)
Remove foil and run a thin knife around the ramekins and turn out puddings on small dessert plates.
Drizzle with caramel sauce and serve.
If you don't have an Instant Pot, you can bake these puddings! Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 20 - 30 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

How to Steam the Puddings on the Stove Top

Use a large pasta pot or dutch oven that will hold the ramekins comfortably
Place a rack on the bottom of the pot and place the ramekins on top.
Pour enough boiling water into the pot to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
Place the lid on the pot and bring the pot to a simmer over medium-low heat.
Simmer for 2 ½ - 3 hours or until the puddings are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with small crumbs attached.
Carefully remove the ramekins from the pot, remove the foil and let cool.

How to Unmold the Puddings

To unmold the puddings, run a sharp knife around the inside of the ramekin
Place a serving plate (serving side down) on top of the ramekin and flip over.
Top with homemade or store-bought caramel sauce.

Recipe Notes

1. Use 4 oz. straight sided ramekins.

2 Use 5 inch square piece of foil. Excess foil makes it hard to fit the ramekins in the Instant Pot.

3. The water you add to the instant pot should come up halfway the side of the ramekins.

4. HOW TO STORE: You can make the Puddings up to 3 days in advance. After cooling, cover with saran wrap or foil and refrigerate.

5. HOW TO RE HEAT: To reheat the puddings, cover them with foil and place them in a 350 degree oven and heat for 15- 20 minutes until heated through OR cover them with plastic wrap and heat in a microwave for 3 minutes at 50% power or until the puddings are heated through.

Nutrition

YOU KNOW I WANT TO SEE IT!Mention @Acommunaltable or tag #acommunaltable!

More 14 Scrumptiously Easy Cake Recipes

Ooey Gooey Chocolate Cake
Butter Cake with Boozy Berries
French Sugar Puffs
Caramelized Pineapple Coconut Cake

Reader Interactions

Comments

Albert Bevia says
January 23, 2018 at 11:51 pm

A great history lesson on ¨puddings¨, this does look bloody brilliant! I have never heard of this dessert before, but it sure sounds and looks so good
Reply
- Nancy says
  January 24, 2018 at 8:44 am
  
  Hi Albert! So glad you enjoyed the lesson on "puddings"! My son, who does not like these types of desserts, devoured almost the entire first batch - so I took that as a sign that they were good!
  Reply
Cathy A says
January 24, 2018 at 9:48 am

What a fabulous post. I haven't tried any deserts in my Instant Pot yet, but this is the inspiration I needed. This is going on my to-do list. Thanks again for another wonderful recipe and informative post.
Reply
- Nancy says
  January 25, 2018 at 9:36 pm
  
  Awww. thanks! I love steamed "puddings" but hadn't made them in forever because they take soooo long to steam in the oven. With the instant pot.... its so darn easy! Will definitely be featuring some other british "puddings" soon!!!
  Reply
Laura says
January 29, 2018 at 8:16 am

OMG this looks spectacular! I'm just getting started with the instant pot, but I love the idea of an "instant" homemade dessert!
Reply
- Nancy says
  February 06, 2018 at 5:47 pm
  
  This wouldn't be a bad dessert to start with - it really is foolproof and really, really good! With salted caramel sauce? Divine!!!
  Reply
  See Also
  Easy Pampered Chef Air Fryer Recipes & Instructions - Midwest Goodness
Wayne Anstey says
April 09, 2018 at 7:18 am

I made this last night and it was delicious. I didn’t have any 4 oz ramekins, so I used 4 - 8 oz instead. The puddings were obvious not as high but tasted great nevertheless. Going out to buy some 4 oz today and will make again.
The only question I had was with the Steam setting. I have an Instant Pot DUO60. On the steam setting, my IP gives me the choice between HIGH and LOW pressure. I used HIGH. Which did you use?
Reply
- Nancy says
  April 11, 2018 at 9:30 am
  
  Hi Wayne! Sorry for the delay in replying! I would use the "high" setting as well - I am sooo happy you enjoyed them!!!!
  Reply
Alana says
November 01, 2018 at 9:46 am

Hi ... could I use the traditional steamed pudding
Mold in the insta pot ? It’s coming today from William
And Sonoma ( the pot that is ) and I have a mold
That I would love to try out ...
Reply
Chris Tennant says
November 03, 2018 at 7:46 am

Looking forward to making this! The first instructions of the recipe say "Add to a small bowl". What exactly am I adding? Do the dates get soaked in the bourbon/water mixture? I would appreciate clarification. Thanks!
Reply
- Nancy says
  November 03, 2018 at 11:21 am
  
  Hi Chris!
  Gah... I've been having some issues with my recipe plugin! I went in and made the corrections and THANK YOU so much for letting me know! I hope you enjoy the sticky toffee pudding - it's one of my all time favorites!!
  Reply
  - Chris Tennant says
    November 03, 2018 at 5:13 pm
    
    Thanks for the correction. They were amazing! So simple too. I made two batches with one being a GF version. I still can't believe such a delicious cake/pudding is possible without any added sugar.
    Reply
    - Nancy says
      November 04, 2018 at 12:26 pm
      
      Hi Chris!! Oh, I am so happy that you enjoyed them! I bet the GF version turned out great - this is just the type of recipe that lends itself to a "gf" make over!"
      Reply
Elaine says
December 14, 2018 at 10:01 pm

I made this recipe last night. Not sure if there should be a little sugar in it. Also, your instructions did not indicate whether the vent should be closed or open during the steam function. I left it open and the pressure was set on low They did not appear to be as moist as I thought they should be. Any thoughts? Thanks.
Reply
- Nancy says
  December 18, 2018 at 8:33 am
  
  Hi Elaine!
  I found that I didn't need to add sugar to the pudding recipe since the dates were sweet enough - but you could certainly add brown sugar if you like a sweeter dessert - I would suggest starting with a quarter cup. For steaming in the instant pot, the vent should be closed - I'm really glad that you mentioned this - I'll change the directions so that point is clear! Since the vent was open, that probably explains why the puddings weren't as moist!!
  I truly appreciate you taking the time to comment - your feedback is incredibly helpful!
  Reply
  - Bobbie says
    December 17, 2019 at 6:32 pm
    
    Hi Nancy,
    I'm confused about your sugar comment. Your recipe calls for 3/4 cup brown sugar. I love dates and I am thinking of making this for a party!
    Reply
    - Nancy says
      December 18, 2019 at 12:02 pm
      
      Hi Bobbie! Most people prefer adding brown sugar in addition to the dates even though they are sweet all on their own!
      Reply
Kimberly says
December 23, 2018 at 2:50 pm

Hi Nancy,
I have made these a couple of times and they are wonderful! What would be the best way to store for a couple days (in ramekins?) and reheat?
Thank you!
Reply
- Nancy says
  December 23, 2018 at 4:28 pm
  
  Hi Kimberly,
  I store them in the ramekins in the refrigerator and then reheat in the microwave. Works great!
  Reply
Carey says
January 13, 2019 at 1:39 pm

Thanks for the recipe! I'm new to the Instant Pot, so this was my first dessert. Love that it's only sweetened with dates. Nice, rich flavor, and great served with ice cream. Have you tried cooking it for less time? I'm wondering if it would be a little less sponge-y if so? Also, what about adding nuts?
Reply
- Nancy says
  January 15, 2019 at 1:15 pm
  
  Hi Carey! I am so glad that you liked the dessert! I haven't tried cooking the pudding for less time - my only concern with doing so is that the pudding wouldn't be completely cooked! Because the pudding is steamed, the texture is a bit spongy! As for adding nuts, they would be delicious but since the pudding is steamed, I think the nuts would become a bit soft. Maybe sprinkle toasted nuts on top? Now I'm thinking... "why didn't I think of that??" Brilliant!!!
  Reply
Mary says
February 16, 2019 at 6:14 pm

Made this today! I didn't have four small ramekins that would fit, so I steamed it in one bigger ceramic souffle Alpico 8" dish. Steamed for 25 min and it turned out perfectly! I also added a 1/4 c brown sugar and some chopped up dried plums from the Farmer's market also.
Reply
- Nancy says
  February 17, 2019 at 5:35 pm
  
  Hi Mary!! I am so, so happy that you enjoyed the recipe - good to know that you were able to make it in a larger souffle dish and that it worked! Oooh... dried plums - yum!! Will definitely have to play around with those!
  Reply
Sarah says
September 07, 2019 at 1:41 pm

Absolutely delicious! Thank you to all the commenters who improved the instructions because they were darned good and clear by the time I got here! (I did have to look up about open/closed vent with the steaming function, but that was minor) Trader Joe's Fleur Sel Caramel Sauce was great on top. I took them to a small dinner party and served with 20 year tawny port. We were all in heaven!! I am NOT a dessert maker but these were really easy and absolutely delicious. Our friends are "foodies" and they raved!
Reply
- Nancy says
  September 08, 2019 at 4:36 pm
  
  Hi Sarah!
  Thank you so much for your comments! I am so happy that you and your friends enjoyed the dessert and I'm definitely making a note to serve these with Tawny port (of which we are huge fans!). I love getting readers feedback - especially on instructions! Always trying to make them better and clearer - an ongoing project!!!
  Reply
Shelby Floyd says
October 29, 2019 at 2:45 pm

I made this in a small steamed pudding mold which just fit in my electric pressure cooker. Used quick release and unmolded right away. It came out perfectly.
Reply
- Nancy says
  October 30, 2019 at 12:18 pm
  
  WOO HOO!! So glad the recipe worked in the pudding mold - amazing how much quicker it is and no running to fill the pot with water!
  Reply